“Islam is based on the element of human nature”

Ayatollah Haeri-Shirazi stated that knowing mankind has become a serious necessity in today’s society because most of the problems we face today are rooted in the lack of understanding mankind.

His Eminence liked mankind to a country saying that that in this country, there is a great minister who has much wisdom and as long he is respected, he can find the path of truth, but if egotism overcomes the minister, he will never be able to guide the country on the path toward truth and cannot be successful in the pursuit of perfection.

The renowned scholar explained that all the prophets from Adam to the “Seal of the Prophets” [Prophet Muhammad] came to guide mankind toward truth and to perfect them, as well as to awaken them spiritually. A human being who’s human nature is awake will live and that human being who’s human nature has died will be a “dead man moving” and just like the rest of the world, he will be overcome by his worldly lusts and desires.

Ayatollah Haeri-Shirazi explained that by working for the hereafter, one makes the present world his heaven. “As long as one does not build his worldly heaven, his heaven in the hereafter will not be built because he has not sent any good deeds to the hereafter which build his heaven. If man does not know his self in this world, he cannot reach [spiritual] completion in the afterlife,” His Eminence explained.

He also warned that unless man’s human nature is awakened, the Islamic Awakening is meaningless: “Islam is based on the element of human nature and when a Muslim begins to awaken this human nature, he is following Islam. According to Islamic belief, that which separates human beings other creatures and makes them superior to other creatures, is Islam.”

Ayatollah Haeri-Shirazi explained that the massive amounts of cases in the judicial system show that the necessity of knowing humanity in society has been neglected. These cases show that it the human nature is not yet recognized and humans still cannot solve their disputes centred on their sense of humanity.

His Eminence pointed out that if one’s life is centred on a life of individuality, one will always suffer and struggle when interacting with others. In all aspects of life, one must know his human nature and work toward satisfying God by avoiding individualism and extremism and serving God and mankind.